APRIL 29 2008 COLLEGE

TOP 25 SCORES (ESPN/USA Softball poll +)

1. Arizona State
2. Florida
3. Alabama loses to DePaul, def Northwestern
4. UCLA
5. Michigan
6. Texas A&M
7. Oklahoma
8. Stanford
9. Fresno State
10. Arizona
11. Northwestern loses to Alabama and DePaul
12. Tennessee
13. Houston
14. North Carolina
15. Long Beach St
16. LSU
17. ULL
18. Virginia Tech splits with E Carolina; Tincher makes history
19. San Diego State
20. U Mass
21. Washington
22. Nevada
23. T Mississippi St
24. T Hawaii
25. California

26. Missouri
27. DePaul def Alabama and Northwestern
28. Creighton
29. Georgia
30. Hofstra
31. South Florida
32. BYU
33. Oregon

TOP 25 GAME CAPSULES (Gametracker, SPYmail)

#18 Virginia Tech 11  East Carolina 0   (5 inn)

WP-Angela Tincher  (30-6)  No-Hitter  1-BB  15 K's LP-Suzanne Riggs  (3-4)

East Carolina 4  #18 Virginia Tech 1 WP-Brooke Swann  (21-18) LP-Kenzie Roark  (2-6)

On a day when Angela Tincher reached a historic milestone of 2,000 career strikeouts, the 18^th-ranked Virginia Tech softball couldn't capitalize on the momentum gained in game one, splitting a doubleheader with East Carolina Tuesday afternoon at Tech Softball Park. The Hokies won the first game 11-0 in five innings before falling in the second game, 4-1.

While the story of the first game was Tincher and her pursuit of history, the Hokie bats came alive, scoring 11 runs on 13 hits. Misty Hall and Beth Walker both hit home runs to lead the offensive outburst.

Leading 4-0 heading to the fourth inning, the Hokies erupted for seven runs to end the game early due to the run-ahead rule.

In typical Tincher flair, she tossed a no-hitter, striking out 15 in five innings on her big day. She walked one and hit two batters, but settled down to pick up her 13^th-career no-hitter and run her record to 30-6 on the season.  For Tincher, it's been a long road to 2,000 strikeouts. It started with a strikeout of Stetson's Melissa Wiggins on Feb. 12, 2005 and it ended with ECU's Sissy Jimenez in the fifth inning Tuesday. She finished with 349 Ks in an injury-shortened freshman year, followed by 504 her sophomore year, 617 last year and now stands with a nation-best 532 this year. East Carolina became the 66^th different team she has faced in her career to have at least one player strike out.  Tincher now stands with 2,002 career strikeouts, making her the third player at any level in NCAA softball history to reach that Herculean plateau, joining Olympians Monica Abbott of Tennessee (2,440) and Cat Osterman of Texas (2,265) to hit the MM mark. In fact, the next closest to her is over 200 behind her at 1,773.

At the plate in the first game, Jenna Rhodes had three hits and two stolen bases while Erin Ota (3 RBI), Charisse Mariconda (2 RBI) and Hall (2 RBI) each had two hits. Kelsey Hoffman (2 RBI), Walker (2 RBI), Jessica Everhart and Anna Zitt each had one hit.

In the second game, the Pirates (33-26) jumped on Tech starter Kenzie Roark (L, 2-6) for a pair of runs in the first inning. After settling down and retiring 14 in a row, Roark gave up a walk and a bomb in the sixth inning as the Pirates padded their lead. The bats went silent for the Hokies in game two. Ota had a single in the first and seventh innings, and Hall had an RBI double in the final inning, but that would be it as the Hokies.  Roark went the distance, allowing four earned runs on five hits with a walk and seven strikeouts.

The doubleheader marks the end of the regular season for Tech (41-15). After a break for exams, the Hokies will head to College Park, Md., for the ACC Tournament. The Hokies will be the No. 2 seed and will face a to-be-determined seventh seed on Thursday, May 8 at 12:30 p.m.

#3 Alabama 6  #11 Northwestern 5  (8 inn)

WP-Kelsi Dunne  (20-3) LP-Lauren Delaney  (29-8)  9 K's

Alabama rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and two more in the eighth for a 6-5 extra-innings win over No. 11 Northwestern in the opening game of the DePaul Softball Invitational at Cacciatore Stadium Tuesday afternoon.

After Northwestern scored a run in the top of the eighth using international tie-breaker rules, Kelley Montalvo quickly tied things up in the bottom half of the inning chopping a double down the left-field line to score Jordan Praytor from second base.

Montalvo then moved to third base on a wild pitch and scored the game-winning run when Charlotte Morgan laced a single up the middle for the win.

Alabama got a little help from the Wildcats in the form of two errors in the bottom of the seventh inning to score two runs and tie the game. Whitney Larsen and Brittany Rogers came through with RBI singles.

The win extends the Crimson Tide’s winning streak to 26 games, the second longest in school history, and improves their record to 47-3. The Wildcats fall to 32-12.

Montalvo went 2 for 3 at the plate to lead Alabama while Morgan was 2 for 4 with the game-winning RBI. Kelsi Dunne earned her 20^th win in the circle, working the final 1.1 with a strikeout. Lauren Delaney (29-8) took the loss for NU, after allowing six runs on six hits.

Erin Dyer staked the Wildcats to an early lead with a three-run, two-out home run off Morgan in the top of the first inning. Dyer is the same player responsible for the seventh inning game-tying two-run home run in the opening round of the 2006 Women’s College World Series against the Tide.

Montalvo answered for the Crimson Tide in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run blast of her own. She launched an 0-2 pitch off Delaney over the right-field wall. 

Northwestern hit another two-out home run in the second inning as Darcy Sengewald connected for a solo shot into the left field bleachers for a 4-2 NU lead.

#27 DePaul 1  #3 Alabama 0   (8 inn) WP-Becca Heteniak 2H  12 K's LP-Charlotte Morgan

Top-ranked Alabama dropped a 1-0 decision in eight innings to No. 20 DePaul on Tuesday afternoon in the DePaul Softball Invitational to snap the Crimson Tide’s 26-game winning streak.

It was Alabama’s first loss since splitting a doubleheader with Florida on March 12. The 26-game winning streak was the second longest in school history to a 27-game streak in 2001.

Becca Heteniak, voted national player of the week by USA Softball and by NFCA, was outstanding in the circle for the Blue Demons, surrendering just two hits while striking out 12 to improve to 25-6 on the season.

The game was scoreless after seven inning, sending Alabama into their second straight extra innings game, with the international tie-breaker rule in effect for the eighth inning. The Tide couldn’t muster any runs in the top half of the inning as Heteniak fanned three and UA left the bases loaded.

DePaul broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the eighth inning when Larsen could not handle Amber Patton’s ground ball that allowed Alex Morocco to score from second base.

Kelsi Dunne was impressive as well for the Tide but left the game after seven innings and did not get the decision. Charlotte Morgan took the loss in her first inning of work. She was charged with an unearned run to fall to 13-1.

The Crimson Tide is now 47-4 on the season, while DePaul improves to 41-14. 

It the first game of the day, Alabama rallied for a two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and two more in the eighth for a 6-5 extra-innings win over No. 12 Northwestern.

Alabama travels to Georgia on Saturday, May 3, to begin the final series of the regular season.

#27 DePaul 5  #11 Northwestern 3 (5 inn)--Called Due to Darkness

WP-Lindsey Dean  (8-2) LP-Jessica Smith  (3-5) S-Becca Heteniak  (3)

In the top of 1^st, Williams reached on an error, scored on Pauly’s two-out single.  In the 2^nd, Quinn reached on an error; Sengewald walked; with two out, Williams doubled in a run.  Trailing 2-0, the Blue Demons in the bottom half opened with a single by Frankewicz, Hanson in to run.  Blagaich singled, and both runners advanced on Voss’ sac bunt.  Demas, pinch-hitting for Morocco, reached on an error at 2^nd, advanced to 3^rd on an error in center field, both runners scoring to tie the game. Patton walked. Morocco, back in for Demas, scored on Wilus’ rbi single. Vojik reached on a fielder’s choice.  Heteniak reached on an rbi fielder’s choice, Patton scoring, 4-2.  DePaul scored in the 4^th on Heteniak’s solo home run to center.  The Wildcats, who stranded two runners in the 1^st, two runners in both the 2^nd and 3^rd, and a seventh in the 4^th, scored a run in the 5^th when E. Dyer and Pauly singled, and K. Dyer doubled Pauly home.  Quinn walked with one out, but NU left three on base. Heteniak pitched the 5^th, striking out three batters. The win made DePaul 42-14 and left Northwestern at 32-13.

Connecticut vs #20 UMass   Cancelled   Amherst, Mass.

OTHER GAME CAPSULES

#32 BYU 9  Northern Colorado 0   (5 inn)

ULTIMATE COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCOREBOARD

UCS conducts an independent national poll; numbers in red

Atlantic Sun

Stetson 1  Florida Gulf Coast 0

Stetson 4  Florida Gulf Coast 3

Big East

Rutgers 6  Villanova 1

WP-Nicole Lindley  (9-7)

LP-Laura Determan  (7-12)

Villanova 11  Rutgers 4

WP-Nicci Ward  (8-9)

LP-Chrissy Yard  (7-17)

Summit

North Dakota State 3  South Dakota State 0

WP-Allison Bakke  (22-8)  1-Hitter

LP-Kiley Schwedhelm  (2-5)

Others

#3 Alabama 6  #12 Northwestern 5   (8 inn)

WP-Kelsi Dunne  (20-3)

LP-Lauren Delaney  (29-8)  9 K's

#20 DePaul 1  #3 Alabama 0   (8 inn)

WP-Becca Heteniak   12 K's

LP-Kelsi Dunne  (20-4)

#20 DePaul 5  #12 Northwestern 3   (5 inn)--Called Due to Darkness

WP-Lindsey Dean  (8-2)

LP-Jessica Smith  (3-5)

S-Becca Heteniak  (3)

Cleveland State vs Niagara   Cancelled   Niagara, N.Y.

#33 BYU 9  Northern Colorado 0   (5 inn)

Wagner 13  Fordham 5   (5 inn)

WP-Kate Eshelman  (9-6)

LP-Beckah Wiggins  (12-10)

Fordham 12  Wagner 4

WP-Nicole Ayers  (9-8)

LP-Kate Eshelman  (9-7)

Liberty 5  Gardner-Webb 4

WP-Tiffani Smith  (5-12)

LP-Cindy Boomhower  (3-10)

S-Sarah Ellis  (3)

Liberty 5  Gardner-Webb 4   (9 inn)

WP-Sarah Ellis  (6-19)

LP-Christine Murray  (8-7)

Pittsburgh 11  Youngstown State 3   (6 inn)

WP-Cory Berliner  (16-8)

LP-Becky Hibner  (1-7)

S-Kaitlyn Schuster  (1)

Pittsburgh 8  Youngstown State 2

WP-Alyssa O'Connell  (1-0)

LP-Cheryl Cale  (7-8)

Rhode Island vs Hartford   Cancelled   Hartford, Conn.

Albany 7  Siena 3

WP-M. Powell

LP-Courtney Brinkman

Sacred Heart vs Iona   Cancelled   New Rochelle, N.Y.

Howard vs George Washington   Cancelled   Washington, D.C.

Seton Hall vs Saint Peter's   Cancelled   Jersey City, N.J.

#19 Virginia Tech 11  East Carolina 0   (5 inn)

WP-Angela Tincher  (30-6)  No-Hitter  1-BB  15 K's

LP-Suzanne Riggs  (3-4)

VT-Tincher reaches 2,000 Strike Outs for her career with FOUR strike outs in the 5th inning

East Carolina 4  #19 Virginia Tech 1
WP-Brooke Swann  (21-18)
LP-Kenzie Roark  (2-6)

UT Martin 13  Mid-Continent 2   (5 inn)

WP-Kara Harper  (8-9)

LP-Lin Ballard

UT Martin 10  Mid-Continent 0   (5 inn)

WP-Ashton Strode  (11-7)

LP-Megan Lack  (6-17)

Brown vs Providence   Cancelled   Providence, R.I.

Charlotte 8  Elon 0   (5 inn)

WP-Katy Hackett  (14-13)  3-Hitter

LP-Melanie Helterbran  (7-9)

Elon 3  Charlotte 1

WP-Carol Lilley  (7-6)

LP-Emily Jeffery  (16-11)

Western Carolina 9  Winston-Salem State 0   (5 inn)

WP-Michelle Tating  (8-8)  3-Hitter

LP-Amber Shore  (10-15)

Western Carolina 8  Winston-Salem State 0   (5 inn)

WP-Lilly McDonagh  (2-9)  2-Hitter  9 K's

LP-Ashley Boswell  (8-6)

Wayne State vs Detroit   Postponed   Detroit, Mich.

Saint Louis 3  Western Illinois 2

WP-Stacy Gillette  (6-13)

LP-Courtney Jacobson  (2-8)

Saint Louis 6  Western Illinois 4

WP-Lorena Floccari  (6-13)

LP-Lori Pankratz  (4-11)

Drake 5  UMKC 0

WP-Jenna DeLong  (6-8)

LP-Samantha Hurst  (5-14)

Drake 11  UMKC 3   (5 inn)

WP-Mandy Osborn  (3-6)

LP-Taya Upkes  (3-11)

Missouri State 5  Arkansas 2

WP-Melissa Porche  (16-12)

LP-Miranda Dixon  (12-11)

Arkansas 9  Missouri State 1   (5 inn)

WP-Katy Henry  (17-12)

LP-Melissa Porche  (16-13)

Connecticut vs #22 UMass   Cancelled   Amherst, Mass.

Louisville 5  Evansville 4

WP-Kristen Wadwell  (17-11)

LP-McKee   (9-2)

UL-Scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th inning

Notre Dame 6  Valparaiso 0

WP-Brittney Bargar  (27-10)  3-Hitter  11 K's

LP-Andrea Zappia  (18-7)

Western Michigan 2  Loyola-Chicago 1

WP-Kyla Sullivan  (13-8)  2-Hitter

LP-Amy Solava  (11-13)

Louisiana Tech 3  UL-Monroe 0

WP-Krissi Oliver  (15-13)  3-Hitter

LP-Heather Fritz  (3-5)

Centenary 9  Northwestern State 1   (5 inn)

WP-Stacy Whitmer  (13-9)

LP-Sarah Dornelas  (6-23)

Baylor 3  Stephen F. Austin 0

WP-Jenny Isham  (11-3)

LP-Debra Boles  (1-2)

S-Brittany Turner  (2)

NFCA SCOREBOARD (late night wrap)

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